Server Options

Oaktree IT Services Ltd

PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT WEB HOSTING OPTIONS

Introduction

This paper defines various options in relation to how a web site can be developed and maintained. The facility can be supported free of charge except for the fee necessary to register the domain name for your site. As the web site needs updating on a regular basis, consideration should be given to either continuing to do it yourself or introducing additional resources.

If you do it yourself, there will be delays in updating the site as these tasks can only be done when convenient. Additional resources can be either in-house or contracted out. Both options will incur a cost. If existing in-house resources are used, there will be a need for training and there may be a need for extra hours of working.

An external contractor may be the best solution. This will have to be the result of a tender exercise. Experience to date has shown that small local companies are not interested in providing a full hosting service due to the high investment in IT they would need. Nor are they interested in providing a minimal updating or maintenance service as this would not generate sufficient income in itself to justify the signing of a contract. Using a large national or international company that has the interest and capability will incur high costs.

With either solution there is a need for additional council work processes. To ensure all information is made available through the web site, they will have to be submitted for conversion to the right HTML format. An example is an in-house newsletter. If this is to be published on the web site, there may need to be a change to its format. It may also be necessary to review the style of text and images used to ensure compatibility between the printed version and the web displayed version.

These are options that are available.

1. Do-It-Yourself

You host the Web site, that is, owning the server and all relevant software, relying purely on in-house resources except for the external connectivity (BT line)

PROS

No service costs to pay

You have total control over the application

CONS

Can be difficult and expensive to maintain the required expertise

You may not have an ideal physical environment (air conditioned, communication links)

Coping with future increase in demand may be painful

Conclusion

This is not a viable proposition. The cost is high, demand for skilled resources is high and it is unlikely that there will be sufficient demand to access the server to justify this investment.

2. Shared Services

A hosting company provides the physical space and associated environmental services, including access security for the council’s web server and the connectivity to the Internet. However, the server is yours and you manage everything else to do with it, including the hardware, operating system and application.

PROS

Far cheaper than full-blown dedicated hosting, while avoiding all the environmental and connectivity issues of in-house hosting.

CONS

You still needs the resources to manage the web server itself, including operating system and application.

Conclusion

Although this is less costly, there is still a need for skilled resources. As with option 1 there is unlikely to be sufficient demand to access the server to justify this lesser, but still high, investment.

Shared Management (Using an Internet Service Provider such as Freeserve)

This is a halfway house, in which you still look after the application, but now the hosting company owns and administers the server and the operating system, as well as providing all the basic co-location facilities. This represents a split in responsibility between the IT platform and the application running on it.

PROS

It off-loads all responsibility for hardware and operating system, allowing you to focus on the application.

Cheaper than full dedicated hosting

CONS

Considerably more expensive than co-location if a dedicated server is provided

You still have to look after the application, which is often the main source of reliability problems.

Conclusion

This is the recommended option for a new site. By using one of the international service providers, costs are considerable reduced. This will not be the best solution as response times from a large server supporting millions of users will be slow. Consideration must still be given to the skilled resources necessary to maintain and develop the site.

4. Dedicated Hosting

Here the hosting company looks after everything to do with the IT of the web site, including the application and even processing electronic payments, if applicable.

PROS

It off-loads all responsibility for IT, allowing you to focus purely on services and customers.

CONS

Very expensive

You will still deal with customers and services

You may still have to grapple with integration issues involving in-house systems.

Conclusion

This is an easy way out as it leaves everything relating to the web site to an external contractor. The cost is very high and you will still need resources to oversee the services being provided and to liaise with the contractor.

5. Full-blown Process Outsourcing

This is dedicated hosting with the additional component of managing processes such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and services, in effect outsourcing in whole e-commerce operation, concentrating on the products or services you provide but leaving the online distribution to the service provider.

PROS

It off-loads some of the integration issues (or all of them if you resort to total outsourcing of IT)

Fastest route to new online markets

CONS

Adds even more to the cost

Extends dependence on hosting provider beyond IT provision into customer relationship management, which may be beyond the provider’s core competence.

Conclusion

This is a total cop out as it leaves everything to an external contractor including all in-house IT equipment. The cost is the highest and you will still need resources to oversee the services being provided and to liaise with the contractor.

Recommendations

	It is recommended that a tender be issued to companies offering the service of web site development and maintenance.
	A full specification is drawn up defining content, suggested layout and a schedule of update frequencies.
	The process whereby updates are passed to the contractor should be defined.
	The format of electronic documents should be agreed to ensure efficient conversion to web site format.

Top of Page

__________________________________________________________________________________________________